Deer Run began with a familiar challenge, introducing a clearly modern addition that still feels at home in a suburban setting. The new primary suite above the existing garage needed a clean, contemporary identity, but it also had to feel warm, settled, and connected to the home as a whole.

The design team answered with restraint and one decisive material move on the rear elevation. ICON thermally modified Douglas Fir, detailed in a Nickel Gap profile, transforms what was once a purely utilitarian garage elevation into an intentional architectural backdrop. The wood’s natural tone softens the home’s crisp geometry, while the consistent reveals create a quiet rhythm of light and shadow. The result is controlled contrast that adds depth and character without visual noise, helping the new volume read as integrated rather than appended.